In case of an emergency know where your water shut off valve is

Almost all water meters have one main shutoff valve directly before the meter and another directly after. Where the meter is located depends on the climate in your area.

In cold climates, the meter and main shutoff valves are located inside, usually in a basement or other warm area to prevent freezing. In milder climates, the meter and its two shutoff valves may be attached to an exterior wall or nestled in an underground box with a removable lid. Between the water main in the street and the meter, there's also usually a buried curb stop valve (accessible only by city workers wielding special long-handled wrenches) and a corporation stop, where your house water line hooks up to the water main. Your city absolutely doesn't want you messing around with these last two valves. They prefer you turn your water off or on using the main valve on the house side of the meter. This valve will normally be a gate-type valve, with a round knurled handle, requiring several full clockwise rotations to turn off. In newer homes, it could be a ball valve.

Keeping good employees

Money will always be the ultimate measure of business and personal success, but smart companies get there in three steps:

Step 1: Show the love. Let employees know you care about them as human beings, not just as workers; and be genuine about it, so they believe you really mean it.

Step 2: Treat them with respect. Keep everyone informed and make their work relevant. Show that they are important to the company and that you value their input.

Step 3: Share the wealth. Now that you’ve got their attention and they feel good about the place, offer well-organized, realistic, fair, and meaningful opportunities to share in the revenue that their improved performance brings to the organization.

Understanding Costomers

Too often, business owners focus so intently on the bottom line that they lose sight of the bigger picture. Success begins with understanding customers and knowing their needs so that we can fulfill them. But that still isn’t enough: We must properly portray ourselves as the solution to their needs. And that begins with presenting a professional image.

Customers see the image we project as a company and as individuals, too. Consciously or not, they judge us based on what they observe. The perceptions they acquire may or may not be accurate, but that doesn’t make them any less real.

A company that fails to consider what customers think will often pick up traits that alienate people. The disdain for the customer begins with management and then filters down through the ranks. For good or ill, employees will eventually emulate management’s attitudes and will treat customers in the same way.

A company that is conscious of its image will be attentive to feedback and will be more likely to take steps to accentuate the positives and remedy negative perceptions